Motorists face further delays on A4 Bath Road

The road is now expected to reopen on Monday, June 2.

Thames Water engineers have been working since May 1 to repair the collapsed sewer

Motorists in Reading are facing further delays after repairs to sewers under the Bath Road have taken longer than expected.

Engineers from Thames Water have been working to repair more than 20 metres of damaged sewer under the A4 Bath Road in Southcote since May 1.

The work was initially expected to last for a week, but teams uncovered a collapsed pipe which needed to be dug out and repaired.

Engineers have been working around the clock to dig out the pipe, sometimes by hand, until they reach a point where it is no longer broken to connect a new pipe.

The five-and-a-half metre deep hole will then need to be filled in and the road surface replaced.

The work has closed part of the A4 near Liebenrood Road and caused huge traffic delays in the area.

Thames Water operations specialist, Bob Cunningham said: “We’re sorry that we’ve got to keep the road closed, but it’s vital we do this job properly. It’s taken longer than we ever expected as the extent of the damage couldn’t be determined until we’d dug down.

“More than 20 metres of pipework has had to be replaced which has been a huge task. We’re working extended hours seven days a week as we know the road closure is so disruptive, but unfortunately we still need a bit more time.”